Baked Hot Wings with Yogurt Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce

Once upon a time, I’d have talked up a recipe for hot wings as being the best type of game day food — and we did enjoy these recently before a Chargers game. Unfortunately the Chargers have been playing so horribly this season, my husband — the world’s most dedicated sports fan — didn’t bother to turn the game on. And I’m glad, because he isn’t a happy camper when a team he likes, a team he’s been behind forever — the home team — is playing poorly. It’s intense. Perhaps you know a sports fan like my husband? Bless you.

I’ll talk up this recipe a different way if that’s all right — unless of course you have a winning football team. One that is dependable and can actually win after holding a lead the entire game. For the rest of us these hot wings might be the perfect way to have a little Friday Night Happy Hour at your own home — or a friend’s because you can make them to go! They’re perfect party food, picnic food, or maybe make a few batches and freeze type food. You know, for a day when you think, I need some hot wings.

They’re baked, not fried, and so easy to make you may find pizza night has been beaten out by hot wings night.

It’s probably less messy to put everything in a plastic bag, but I was preoccupied with the game and used a bowl instead. Mix everything up and then brush more sauce on the wings once they’re on the foil.

You’ll have to turn them half way through the baking time and brush more sauce on them before they’re done. But they’re ready before you know it. Just look at those steaming hot wings!

Spicy and crisp on the outside, tender on the inside. I should’ve doubled the batch.

They were nearly gone in a flash, with a lone hot wing sitting on the platter and the guys looking at it, wondering if I’d get it. I let them wrestle for it but wished I hadn’t.

You can adjust the heat in this hot wings recipe -- a lighter version than the traditional.

Author: kellypea

Recipe type: Appetizer

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the wings baking sauce

4 lbs. chicken wingettes

4 T white vinegar

4 T water

2 T tomato paste

2 tsp. honey

2 T hot sauce such as Tapitio

2 tsp. soy sauce

½ tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. cayenne

salt & pepper to taste

For the dipping sauce

1 c. nonfat Greek yogurt

2 oz. blue cheese, crumbled

3 green onions, sliced thin

1 clove garlic, minced

½ tsp. dry mustard

salt & pepper to taste

1 bunch celery for serving

Instructions

To prepare the chicken wings, in a small bowl or sealable plastic bag, combine all of the ingredients and mix well making sure the wings are completely coated with the mixture.

Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or if making ahead, store overnight until ready to bake.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Line a baking sheet with foil and place the chicken wings on the foil, brushing extra sauce over them.

Bake for 15 minutes, turn the wings, brush on more sauce and return to the oven for an additional 15 minutes or until wings are nicely browned.

While the wings are in the oven, trim the celery root end and split the stalks lengthwise, then in half.

To make the yogurt dipping sauce, mix the ingredients in a small bowl making sure to mash the blue cheese so it can be blended into the yogurt.

Taste before adding salt, then season to your liking.

Serve the wings on a platter alongside the celery with the dipping sauce.

Allow to bake

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Recipe Notes:

I purchased my chicken wings already broken into “wingettes” but will eat hot wings any way I can get them.

If you’re someone who likes hot wings on the cooler side, adjust the seasonings as you go — I’d start by cutting the hot sauce and cayenne in half, tasting, then going from there.

Speaking of the hot sauce — use your favorite brand. I have Louisana Hot Sauce, Tapatio, Tamazula, Tabasco, Sriracha, and Castillo Salsa Habanero to choose from and like them all for different reasons but find myself reaching for the Tapatio most often. It won’t singe the insides of your cheeks and tongue but has a nice heat with a pleasant flavor.

Depending on your oven, you may need to keep an eye on these. The honey in the sauce will cause them to burn — evidence on my foil! My husband likes things like this with what we call a bit of a high brown, so there were no complaints.

Hot wings are traditionally made with sour cream, so if you’re not a yogurt fan, then use sour cream. Otherwise, try the Greek yogurt. I use FAGE — it’s super creamy and worked perfectly for the dipping sauce which was very blue cheesy in flavor and perfect to cool down the spice on the wings.

Both the dipping sauce and the wings can be made ahead and kept well sealed in the fridge.